


Every (body) Lost Somebody

by lateshifter



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi, One-Sided Attraction, Pre-Canon, Pre-OT3, Pre-Particle Accelerator Explosion (The Flash TV 2014), Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-28
Updated: 2018-11-28
Packaged: 2019-09-01 19:48:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16771708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lateshifter/pseuds/lateshifter
Summary: Cisco Ramon's dream is coming true. He finally has an amazing job working for one of the brightest minds of the century at the institution ready to set off the new millennium with a bang.The only problem is that he has a little crush. On one of his coworkers. Who has a girlfriend.





	Every (body) Lost Somebody

Cisco looked down at the piece of paper Dr. Wells had given him. His name was at the top of the list next to a startling six figure number he could imagine was supposed to represent money. The rest of the page was filled with other names and other atmospherically high numbers.

“What is this?”

“This is how much I pay everyone who works for me at STAR Labs and how much I intend to pay you. I’m trying to have transparency here. Too many people like me get away with paying their employees less than they’re worth, less even than they are willing to pay because of a veil of secrecy and taboo. If we’re going to build the future we can’t be held back by the mistakes of the past. STAR is a meritocracy, pure and simple. Nothing else determines position and salary.” He leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together. He was sitting with his legs crossed in one of the banged up swivel chairs of the grad lab like it was a throne. Cisco still couldn’t believe he was actually there. The Harrison Wells. Actually, there talking to him. Dr. Wells smiled blandly back at him. “Any questions?”

Cisco looked back down at the paper in front of him, his hands were trembling slightly. 

“No. No. It’s just…” He trailed off licking his lips. He didn’t want to have to say it, those interview courses he’d taken online would have told him explicitly not to. But he was at the top of the list. Dr. Wells wanted to give him the highest tier salary, one only two other people were getting. That couldn’t be right.

“I assure you, Mr. Ramon, there is no mistake,” Dr. Wells said as if was reading his mind. “I think you’re brilliant. One of the most brilliant minds I’ve ever come across. I want to work with you directly. This is how I plan on showing it.”

Cisco’s mouth went dry. He felt hot all over. This had to be a dream. It couldn’t be reality. 

“This is so generous.”

“Actually,” Dr. Wells cut him off. “It’s not generous at all. It’s purely selfish. I want you on the team. I need you on the team. If anyone offers you something better, I’ll match. I understand, though, if you need some time to consider.” He got to his feet, carefully buttoning his blazer and brushing a speck of sawdust off his pant leg. He was leaving. A spike of panic went through Cisco.

“Wait! No! I don’t need time. I’m in, all the way.”

Dr. Wells smiled without showing his teeth. His blue eyes twinkled behind his glasses.

“You’re sure?”

“Yes, absolutely!” Cisco was grinning. This might have been the best day of his life.

“Okay, then.” Dr. Wells extended his hand to Cisco. “Welcome aboard, Mr. Ramon.”

Cisco took his hand and shook it eagerly. He kept smiling in a daze as Dr. Wells went over logistics, handed over his card and walked out promising to put Cisco in touch with his lawyers. He walked back to the trailers CCU used for graduate housing on a cloud. He went to sleep that night dreaming of the STAR Labs logo. It was probably the best day of his life.

Correction: The day he walked into STAR Labs and flashed an employee badge to the security guard was the best day of his life. No question.

He thought he looked pretty slick, hair pulled back, brown blazer on. Like a professor or something. Dr. Wells had told him to come in later in the day so he could get oriented to the facility and set up the labs how he wanted them while Wells was available to answer questions. Dr. Harrison Wells, Time Magazine’s Man of the Year, wanted to help him settle in. Cisco literally pinched himself in the elevator.

His mood sank a little when the first person he talked to made fun of his outfit and berated him for being late.

So that was Hartley Rathaway. Practically, Dr. Wells’ right-hand man and he hated Cisco on sight. Great.

He remembered the list Dr. Wells had given him. Hartley made the same amount he did but had been working there since nearly the lab’s inception. Was that what he was mad about? Cisco didn’t know how to explain he had no control over it but it probably wouldn’t have helped anyway. The salaries, whatever Wells said, were almost a direct sign of how much favor you had with Dr. Wells and Cisco had jumped to the top in less than a week. He had a sinking feeling he might get that treatment from more than just Hartley. 

Of course, Dr. Wells came over and gave him a tour and called him a genius, something he’d only ever been told once or twice, and he was able to put the incident out of his mind. He was doing what he loved for a boatload of money with the smartest guy in the world as his mentor. That thought alone could banish any demons.

Over the next few days, Cisco got to know the “inner circle” as they were called or rather whispered about. Hartley, Dr. Caitlin Snow, her boyfriend, Ronnie Raymond. A few hangers-on who circulated around the cortex, following after Dr. Wells like scavenger fish in the wake of a shark. They were all so young. Cisco was used to being the young one even in grad school. At STAR Labs everyone was pretty much his same age. He tried not to think about what that could mean too much.

Cisco met Ronnie his second day there and, well, he wasn’t what he expected. Dr. Wells was the kind of charismatic genius type who could dazzle a crowd but preferred to be shut away in his office most of the time. Hartley was a snob and an asshole to boot though sometimes it seemed like he wasn’t even doing it on purpose. Caitlin was nice but kind of distant. Most of the other scientists all seemed too stressed to talk.

Ronnie, though. Ronnie bounded into the room like he gave off sunshine. He was tall, handsome, and built like a quarterback. The second Cisco was introduced he pulled him into a massive bear hug. Engineers weren’t exactly known for being people oriented. Cisco had experienced that plenty in grad school. He convinced himself he was just surprised and pleased that someone would actually talk to him at work.

When Ronnie looked at some of his blueprints and started gushing over them, Cisco told himself that his heart was pounding because was Ronnie was older and more experienced and his opinion meant a lot.

It wasn’t until the end of the week that Cisco admitted it to himself. He had done it again. He had taken one look at someone who would never, ever like him back and fallen deeply, head over heels, in love. 

Friday night, Ronnie arranged for them all to go out for drinks in honor of Cisco joining the team. Ronnie wasn’t even a permanent employee, he was just there until the construction of the particle accelerator was completed, but somehow everyone let him run the show. After a little coercion, he got about fifteen people from their department to carpool out to some hybrid pizzaria/club/karaoke bar on the other side of town.

Hartley, of course, declined the invitation. 

Since Cisco was the guest of honor it didn’t seem like he had the option of turning it down. He ended up in the backseat of Ronnie’s car with two junior researchers who he had met only briefly named Ed and Beverley. Ronnie drove, bantering back and forth with them and telling a series of increasingly terrible dad jokes. Cisco couldn’t concentrate though because his eyes were fixed on Caitlin’s hand playing with Ronnie’s hair at the base of his neck. His stomach swirled uncomfortably. 

When they finally reached the bar, inexplicably decorated like a tent at Oktoberfest, he could barely eat any of the mountains of pizza Ronnie had ordered. All around him people were drinking big liters of beer and gorging on pizza, chatting excitedly about new discoveries and life events and sports. Cisco sat in the middle of the long table faking a smile.

Ronnie had his arm around Caitlin’s shoulders and her head was resting on his shoulder with an adoring look on her face. Ronnie was talking to a Dr. Will Magnus about their mutual love of Catalan Modernism. Then, a song came on and Ronnie was breaking away from the conversation and pulling Caitlin with him.

“This is our song!” He called to the crowd and Caitlin followed him laughing.

Cisco watched as they made their way to the dance floor. Ronnie held her hands as they shimmied back and forth, swing dancing to a pop song. He gave Caitlin a twirl and she spun with more grace than she ever had alone. Ronnie watched her like she was the most beautiful thing in the world. And Dios if they weren’t perfect for each other. They were glowing golden there in the dim lights.

Cisco felt like he wanted to die. He knew he had no right to feel that way. Caitlin and Ronnie had been together for four years, Cisco had just met the guy that week. 

He turned back to his stein of beer and decided to drown the wound to his fragile ego in alcohol. He had to get a grip on himself or he was never going to survive this job.

He drank the liter which was a heady, high-alcohol microbrew made to exacting Bavarian standards and ordered another. The drinks went down easier than the food. By the bottom of his second one, he looked up to see he was the only one sitting at the table. Somehow Ronnie Raymond had gotten a bunch of stiff scientists onto the dance floor. And here he was Cisco Ramon, guest of honor and the most enthusiastic if not the best dancer at many a quinceanera in his youth, sitting around moping. 

Something crashed into him and warm arms wrapped around him. Cisco’s heart nearly stopped in his chest when he realized it was Ronnie.

“Hey, Cisco, why do chicken coops only have two doors?”

“I don’t know, Ronnie. Why?” Cisco asked trying to keep his cool and only sound a little bemused.

“Because if they had four, they would be chicken sedans!” He declared proudly. Ronnie let go of Cisco, stumbling back and almost collapsing under the weight of his own laughter.

Cisco stared at him, incredulous.

“Oh my god, are you drunk?”

Ronnie, still laughing, held up his thumb and pointer finger a smidge apart. Cisco rolled his eyes. What a dork. His heart pounding kindergarten crush didn’t falter at all though.

“Cisco Ramon, we’re doing karaoke,” Ronnie slurred. “Would you do me the honor of singing with me?”

Cisco’s face grew hot.

“No, I don’t. I don’t really-”

“Come on!” Ronnie sank to his knees beside Cisco’s chair and clasped his hands together. “Pretty please?”

Cisco laughed. People were watching them. Ronnie turned around and gestured to the crowd.

“Cisco! Cisco! Cisco!” Caitlin started chanting and the rest of the scientists joined in. They were making a scene. Practically everyone in the place was looking.

Cisco hung his head, smiling despite himself. This was somehow both his worst nightmare and the perfect daydream at the same time.

“Okay, okay. Fine, I’ll do it.”

The crowd cheered. Ronnie sent him a cheesy grin.

“You won’t regret it.”

Cisco rolled his eyes again.

“I mean, I probably will.”

Still, he followed Ronnie to the stage.

The guy in charge of the karaoke, a bar employee Cisco assumed, handed them a pair of wireless microphones with a raised eyebrow as he glanced between Cisco and Ronnie.

“A duet?”

Cisco stiffened and looked the guy right in the eye.

“Yeah, got a problem with that?”

“Yeah, cuz we’re best bros!” Ronnie shouted at the guy, wrapping an arm around Cisco’s shoulders. Cisco winced. They hardly knew each other and he knew the best they would ever be was friends but still it hurt a bit.

“What he said,” Cisco muttered.

The guy just shrugged like he never cared in the first place and walked over to cue up the song.

It wasn’t until he was up on the stage, gripping the microphone, that Cisco realized he was about to embarrass himself in front of his new coworkers during his first week. Ronnie’s drunken smile wasn’t as reassuring as he’d hoped it would be. 

“Did you pick the song?” He asked Ronnie.

“No, Caitlin did.” Ronnie shielded his eyes against the lights. “Hey, babe!” He called.

Caitlin waved her arms in the air and gave a whoop. She seemed so different when Ronnie was around. Cisco hoped she’d chosen some inoffensive Top 40 song for them.

Then, the music started up and Cisco saw the title on the monitor. He could feel his face flushing right up to his ears. Was she trying to kill him?

“Hey,” Ronnie whispered. “I’ll be red, you be green.” He apparently had no qualms about singing “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”.

Ronnie started in on the first line with more enthusiasm than was strictly necessary. He wasn’t great but he wasn’t terrible either. He put his whole heart into it though and it showed. He was all golden again.

So Cisco just closed his eyes and tried to suck it up. He waited for his part. He wasn’t embarrassed to say he knew the words by heart. It was in the credits of that stupid Chicken Little movie, after all. That’s a reasonable excuse, right?

He tried his best but as his parents had told him, his best wasn’t usually very good. When the music petered out, he dared to open his eyes and look out at the crowd. They were standing in what looked like stunned silence.

Cisco turned to Ronnie, about to ask him if he’d fucked it up but Ronnie was watching him with the biggest smile. The type of smile that could make you feel invincible. Then, the crowd broke into uproarious clapping.

Ronnie grabbed his shoulder and shook him.

“That was amazing!”

Cisco smiled all the way on the drive home even as Caitlin drove and Ronnie told corny jokes. He wasn’t any closer to fixing his problem but he thought he could maybe just survive if he got to occasionally bask in the glow of Ronnie’s admiration and made himself a Tinder profile and found someone else more appropriate to crush on.


End file.
